


mistaking blood loss for exhaustion

by orphan_account



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: M/M, idk what this is...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2015-06-26
Packaged: 2018-04-06 07:11:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4212672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since Zuko had joined their little gang of misfits, Sokka had tried to be as apprehensive as possible to this whole concept of mutual trust and acceptance that Aang was preaching.</p>
            </blockquote>





	mistaking blood loss for exhaustion

Ever since Zuko had joined their little gang of misfits, Sokka had tried to be as apprehensive as possible to this whole concept of mutual trust and acceptance that Aang was preaching. Katara wasn't pretending when she turned away from Zuko and his worried, nervous eyes, a lot different from the way they used to look back... oh, maybe a couple weeks back? Spirits, he wanted to act as if that bothered him the way it seemed to bother almost everyone else. He wanted to tense up and scowl and flinch and the whole package, but he wasn't getting any better at lying since he and Katara had left their home and undertaken this mission. Well, lying when it mattered, like when Zuko was five steps away from him and awkwardly alone, unsure of how to bring himself in their circle.

The truth was, he was pretty much going to burst if he held it in any longer. He felt so much more relieved that Zuko was with them now. It didn't hurt that now they had one less person trying to hunt them down and one more person trying to further the cause. Every helping hand was a welcome hand, and all that. That they didn't have to worry about Zuko and his pinched, scarred face, trying to attack them directly. But apparently all that meant for the rest of the gang was that now they had a wary, softer-looking Zuko trying to attack them in secret. It was about three parts that new ally thing, and two parts Sokka just wanting someone else. Especially someone he had found himself months ago realizing was not so far removed from being like Sokka. They'd heard enough stories before Zuko told them muttered bits himself, trying to bare his soul in an attempt to make things casual. Sokka could piece it together. Feeling useless to your father, your people. A sister who found things naturally. Desperately wanting to prove yourself and your worth. A temperament that they'd constructed in defense of themselves, rather than in offense of others. Sokka was suspicious, hid things with humor. Zuko was a little more... violent, with his words and actions. He bursted to the brim with fire and anger, high-strung and waiting for an excuse. At least he used to. Now it was like someone had dumped a bucket of water on him, and sure Katara had done so literally a couple times since he'd joined them (it was always an accident, of course), but Sokka meant it metaphorically.

So there he was. The banished prince, their newest addition, and the sorriest excuse for a socializer Sokka had ever met, looking at him with the tiniest glimmer of eagerness in his eyes. He must've noticed by now, that if anyone was going to bend to his favor and offer an open hand, it would be Sokka. Sokka clutched his kebab of fruits, and without a word grabbed another and walked away from the fire. Everyone else was so busy talking and laughing (without him, he thought bitterly, and wondered if another boat he and Zuko shared was being outcasts) that they didn't notice him slip away with an extra helping. Zuko didn't need coaching to know to follow Sokka out, away from the brightness of the fire and into the dark.

But then he just sat tentatively beside Sokka, linked his hands, and stared down into his lap. Sokka prided himself a moment for taking control of the situation and sticking out the kebab towards Zuko, but that pride dissolved as Zuko winced and made a soft noise.

“Did you just stab me?”

Sokka looked on open mouthed. “It wasn't really my intention, but yeah, I guess I did.” Zuko reached for the kebab and pulled it out quickly, a little spark of blood trickling down his arm. “Um, that was supposed to loosen you up-”

“A good stabbing really relaxes the muscles,” Zuko muttered, taking the bloody end of the kebab away from him and trying to focus on eating the fruit on it instead of the fact that it had been in his arm seconds ago.

“Hey, I'm the sarcasm guy. I must've forgotten that amongst our official introductions, y'know, that first day we met. When you tried to kill us?”

Zuko tensed, but played along. “I introduced myself. When I landed your sorry ass on the ice.”

“I-I was just off that day!” Sokka's voice pitched a little bit and he cursed himself.

“I know.” Zuko was quiet again. “I've seen you with that sword. You're not bad.”

“Spirits, I'm blushing! A prince complimented me! What's next, a marriage proposal? Is this part of the royal courting process?”

Zuko practically choked on the fruit in his mouth, swallowing it down harshly before turning his eyes to Sokka. They were popped open wide, surprised, and Sokka liked how for once he was making that look outside of a battlefield, surprised by a joke instead of surprised by a failure. He opened his mouth again, deciding to push his luck to see what face Zuko would make next. “Let's skip the formalities, if the crown prince asked me to, I would bend over and-” Zuko's hands flew to Sokka's mouth and his face lit up, looking scandalized.

“Sokka!” His voice squeaked as he said the other's name, and Sokka grinned underneath Zuko's hands. He'd been in this situation plenty of times before, though it was usually Katara's hands on his mouth, hushing him when he said something she didn't like. The thing about siblings, is that they gave you a lot of practice in infuriating other people. And learning how to open them up, comfort them. Sokka wasn't a sensitive person, and he wasn't attuned to their hopes and dreams the way his sister could be sometimes (though maybe that was just with Aang), but he could try. So in his infinite knowledge of comforting other people, he did the logical thing and licked Zuko's palms, watching him bounce back like he'd narrowly missed getting scorched by fire. It was so ironic, and the look on Zuko's face was a mixture of surprise and embarrassment and a touch of indecision, like he couldn't decide whether or not to beat Sokka's ass or laugh along, so Sokka guided him to the right decision and was the first to open his mouth and laugh loudly. Not loud enough for the others to hear him, but openly and heartily enough that Zuko got the memo and joined along. His laugh was a little raspy, but still genuine, and Sokka was glad he could pull that out of Zuko so easily. He was no bender, but he was good at this. And sword-fighting, and using his boomerang, and making plans. But this was strangely rewarding. For a moment he could forget all that other stuff that he and Zuko had in common, the hurt and the desperation and the hopelessness, and just remind himself in the most natural way that they were both just regular kids underneath it all. Maybe really, really, deep underneath it all, but that was fine.

So instead of doing what he'd sort of wanted to when he first saw Zuko, like delve into all that mud and ask questions about his family, his scar, his own piece of darkness, he wrapped them up in laughter. The fruit kebabs didn't taste so bad like that. Sokka almost forgot how much he missed meat. His home. The familiarity of the moon in the icy sky. Zuko's face had begun to light up in a different way (though his embarrassed face was something Sokka would definitely have to test again). He was bright and warm and their little cove away from the group was humming with their excitement and the heat Zuko was emitting. Did he even realize he was doing that? That his good eye wrinkled up into a crescent and his mouth pulled wide and his hands and heat were everywhere. It was intoxicating, sharing this moment with somebody like this, feeling so comfortable next to somebody who was an enemy not long ago. The weird way the universe could pick up a Fire Nation prince and a Water Tribe warrior and stick them together with some kebabs and everything would fit just right and cozy. It felt a lot more like home than Sokka could remember things feeling in a while. He cracked a few more jokes and Zuko tried some on too, both of them pushing and pulling. Then Zuko yawned, and the moment started to fade away, but not sadly. It just lulled back, lingering like a promise that it would return.

“I'm kind of tired,” Zuko said, like he regretted that he couldn't just keep his eyes open longer. Sokka cleared his throat, thought of saying something more, but just smiled teeth bared and punched Zuko in the shoulder. When his fist came back with a streak of blood Sokka made a small noise in the back of his throat.

“Do firebenders mistake blood loss for exhaustion often?” Zuko was confused but then he remembered that yeah, Sokka had started this entire thing by basically stabbing him. He probably shouldn't have forgotten that but Sokka had sort of gotten him caught up in a little bubble.

“Shit,” Sokka mumbled, looking out and trying to see what the rest of the group was doing. The fire was out and he groaned. “Katara's definitely going to kill us if we have to wake her up to heal you.”

“It's okay, I don't think the blood loss is that bad-”

“Are you seriously that scared of my sister?” Zuko paused for a moment, wondering if it was polite, but then he remembered that half of the jokes they'd cracked moments before would hardly be deemed polite, and nodded. Maybe a little enthusiastically, but Sokka ate it up. “Spirits, even better. Now we have to wake her up.” He pulled at Zuko's hand and the firebender stood up reluctantly.

“Are you trying to torture me?”

“Yes. It's karmic payback.” Sokka flashed him another grin and Zuko felt like in a past life (or was that a month ago?) he would've had definitely kicked Sokka's ass.

He could do that in the morning though, after Katara kicked both of theirs.

**Author's Note:**

> right so i'm marathoning atla and i haven't even gotten to season three but i'm Ready for sokka and zuko interactions and i've just been thinking about them.. i wanted to post something even if it's unedited and sort of circular


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